Improvement in gas apparatus



3 SheetsSheet 2.

JOHN H. ST'EINER.

lmpr0vement in GasApparatus. No.125496. 2

Patented April 9 3 Sheets--Sheei 3'. 10H N H'. STEINER.

lmprovement in Gas Apparatus.

UNITE ATET JOHN H. STEINEB,OF OINCINNATI, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN GAS APPARATUS.

SPECIFIOATION. T0 all whom z't may concem:

Be it; known that; I, J 0]1N H. STEINER, of Oincinnati, in the count y of H amilton and State of Ohio, have inveuted a new and. useful Improvement in Gas-VVorks; "and' I (10 hereby decla-re that the following is a full, clear, and

exact: deseription thereof.

The natura 0f my invention relates t0 that dass of gas-machines in Which pure hydrogen gas is genemted by the action of dilute. acid upon metal scraps 01 turnings, and afterwa-rd cmbureted by passing it over 01. throughthe volatile hydrocarbons, such as gasoline, &c., in order to give it the proper illuminating qualities; und it; consists in areservoir f0r holding the dilute acid, placed above one or more gasgenerating ehambers 0r retorts, and containing within it a carbureting-cha-mber, said reservoir and retorts being so conneeted and arranged that the di lut e acid will be automatically supplied to the retorts in pr0per quantitzies during the operation 01; the machine, and stopped when the machiue is not in action; and, further, in so eonstructing and arranging the said retorts and reservoir in relation to each otl1er that the weakened 0r spent acid'or solution in the retorts after use may be returned t0 the reservoir, 01' be discharged from the machiue entirely by the pressure 0f the gas within, ab the will 0f the opegator.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 represents zu front view 0t' my apparatus; Fig. 2, a back view with tl1e end 0f the reservoir removed; 2md Fig. 3 is a, sectional view 0f the reservoit a-nd one 0f the reto1ts 01 generating-chanubers and F1 g. 4, a seetional view of the retort and tubes for holding the meta-l serap.

A r(=.presents thereservoir f01 the dilute acid, within which is a carbureting-chambeg B, lo cated ab 01 near the center of said reservoir, und extending nearly from eiu1 to end of tl1e VVit-hin said carbureter is secured a perforated tube, b, extending from end to end of the same, and above il: is secured 211 flat plate 01' shelf, b. The chamber B is to contain Lhe highly volatile distillates of etroleum, such as gasoline, &c. The gas generated in the retorts below enters als one eml 0f the tube b, and Passes 01113 through the perforations into and through the hydrocarbon oil, becoming highly carbureted. The space around the tube b may bei filled With curled hai1, if desired, t0 dh'idd the body 0f ga-s int0 fine particles and more thoroughly carburet it. By placing the earbureter inside the reservoir it is protected from accident 01 in j ury from external influences and fr0m all contact with fire, and the temperature 0f its eontents is kept the same as the temperature 0f the dilute acid. O O represent the hy drogen-gas-generating retonts, which consist 0f cylinders placed below the reservoir A and supporting i1;. \Vithin each cyliuder is secured a removable perforated o ylinder, D, witl1 a cap, d, 0n its inner end. These cylinders are t0 contain metal scraps, such as iron 01" zinc, and are supported o n aprons 0r rests F F, 0r their equivalents, arranged within the retorts (J C. E E are caps that fit; and close the euds 0f the retorts O G, 21n(1 which may be removed at pleasure for the purpose ot'remm'ring t-he tubes E E" in order to charge them. Fr0m tl1e bottom 0f the reservoir extend the pipes G G- in the bootom 0f the retorts (J O, through which the acid water is admitted from the reservoir t0 the retorts. Said pipes are provided with eocks g g, by which the flow of the dilute acid may be c01itr0lled, am]. are provided m: their ends in die retorts D D ith valves d d, to prevent any back fiow of t e acid int0 the reservoir, through said pipes, from the pressnre within said retort. H H represent pipes proeeedin g from the top ofthe retorts O 0,1:hrough the front end 0f the reservoir A, into t[be center 0f the earbureter B, where they terminate within the pertbr2fl;ed tube b. serve to convey the 'gas generated in said retorts to the carbureter, am]. are provided with eoe ks h h, by which the flow can be regulated 01 eut 0fi' entirely. I I are pipes extending from the bottom 0f the retorts, a1: their rear, up through the back portiou of the reservoir, into the same, where they terminate above the level 0f the a-cid. water when the said reservoir is fu1l. From these pipes the brauch pipes M extend through the back of said reservoir, said pipes being provided with stop cocks i i. These pipes serve 130 1eturn the weakened or spent: acid. water t0 the rese1woir, 01 to discharge it from the machine entirely through the brauch pipes, as may be desired. This is accomplished by the pressure of the gas with1n tl1e recorts 0 U automatieally when the communiuation between the rehorts and ca-rbureter These pipes is out oft. K is the in1et for filling the reservoir A, provided with zu suitable oap. L is a pipe for filling the carbnreter B, whioh is also provided with acap, und M is the service-pipe for oonveying the gas to the burners. N is a stop-eock zu, the 1ower part of the rear of the reservoir A for emptying it of its oontents.

The operation of m y apparatns is as follows The reservoir is properly filled with dih1te aoid, and the oarbureter B With gasoline. The oylinders E E a-re oharged With so ap iron or zine, and plaoed in the retorts, whioh are then securely closed by the caps. The ooeks g in .the pipes G G are then turned so as to open coxnmunication between the retorts und thecarbureter. 'lhe Leid werter flows through the pipes G G into the retort-s, lifting the va1ves ab their ends. 011 eoming in contact with the metal somp in the tubes E E hydrogeu gas is imme'diately generated, whioh passes throngh the pipes H H into the carbureter B, entering at one end of the tube b, und escaping; through its perforations into the gasoline, after which it passes through the pipe lWI to the burners. II; Will readily be seen that ins the dilute aeid rises in the retorts the generation of the gas will be increase'd, thus inereasing the pressnre in the machine, und stoppi.ng the flow ot' tho dilute aoid into the retorts until the pressure is removed by the gas esoaping a-t tl1e burner, thus autonmtically regulating the quantity of water admitted to the retorts.

1 The advantages of 1ny 1naohine over all others of its dass will be apparent. As above stated, by the'armngement of the carbureter within the generator where it is submerged in aoid water, it is prevented from all in iury from fire o1 external. influenoes, and will also render the machine more compaot. The peeuliar arrangement of the reservoir above the retorts also gives the 1naehine compactness and strength, und places the whole appara-tus ab the oonvenierflt control 0f the operator. The machine, zus Will be perceived, is entirely automatio in its action after being set in operation, supplying the aoid wa-ter to the retort in proper quantities, zu1d 110 more, during the t-hne it is in use, 2u1d returning the spent aoid 130 the reservoir, 01 dischnrging it entirely from the machine, when in is thrown out of operation, thus efl'ectually stopping the generation of gas and ehe oonsequent waste of material; besides, the apparatus 02m be charged while in operation without; stop'ping it by shutting oft oonnection with one retort, when it may be opened and reoharged.

Whnt I c1aim is l. A reservoir for oontaining dilute aeid, arranged, in relation to a retort o1 series of retorts Whioh contain metallio turnings, as described, so as to supply the dilute aeid auto matica-lly to one o1 more of the retorts as required, as and for the purpose sei; forth.

2. The reservoir an(l retorts, arranged1n rela-tion to eaoh other, in Ehe manner desorihed, so that the wezmkened or wa-ste aoid und water, after use, oan be returned to the reservoir or disoharged from the apparat-us antomat-ically, as and for the purposes desoribed.

3. The construction zu1d arrangement of t-he cmbureter within t-he reservoir, as herein described.

4. The comhination of the perforated tubes o1 cylinders E h) with oho rc'torts U O, substantially 21s sei: forth.

5. The diaphragms or aprons F for the tubes to resb upon, as deseribed.

(S. The inlet-pipes G G and valves in oonn@ction therewith as herein desoribed.

7. 'lhe pipes H H, in combination with the retorts a-nd reservoir.

8. 'lhe discharge-pipes I I, extending from the retorts into the reservoir, as and for the purposes described.

9. The oombination of the reservoir A, the carbureter B, and retorts O C, as and for the purposes herein described.

\Vitnessesz JOHN H. STEIN ER.

T. M. Ooomzs, EDMON M. BLANKMAN. 

